The Butterfly Fairy
by MistyLilyValley
Summary: With the recent arrival of Posibelle and Marisol, the fairies of Pixie Hollow prepare to stock up supplies for Fairy Camp on the mainland. When trying to pinpoint Mari's direct talent, it becomes apparent that Mari has a way with butterflies. As butterflies begin to vanish near camp, will Mari's compassion and connection with a lonely human boy explain everything that's going on?
1. Chapter 1 - Expected Arrival

The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter One

* * *

_Did you ever wonder where nature got its glow? Well, we sort of play a part in it … we fairies may make ourselves scarce when it comes to bringing seasons to the Mainland, but it's not just the seasons that we help along …_

A fairy paused from tugging a book into her library as the sun peeked through her rosemary curtains. Flitting over to pull aside the shades, she inserted a tiny prism into the crystal slide that sat posed by her panorama window.

_No, we also help the simplest elements of nature shine, from the sorting of lights to aiding the rain pour down on a hot day …_

Screwing it tightly, she quickly floated back as the rays created a rainbow affect around the whole room as she flew up to collect the different samples into fairy-sized jars for later. Completely satisfied with her work, she drew open the curtains completely as she ducked in her room for a second with her light-weaving journal under her arm.

_Just like Animal fairies helping with baby animals, and water fairies bringing water to thirsty plants and all kinds of critters, but then again you've probably heard all this before. This story's about my sister. Her late arrival proved to be no accident, for the reason was … well, you'll soon see …_

Stepping out into the clear blue air, she soon sighed contently as she threw up a shiny amount of pixie dust to settle over her as her wings started to glow pixie yellow. Soaring over her home, she smiled as the wonders of Pixie Hollow sparkled beneath her eyes.

"_There is magic everywhere, in the air you breathe,  
It's true for every living thing, why flowers bloom and all birds sing …"_

Little fishes floated along in water bubbles as water fairies guided them along the sky. One water fairy in particular was encouraging a baby goldfish to hop over the falls as a sudden gust of wind sent him flying back into the waves as an amused Vidia nearby spun in a mini cyclone, drying a baby bird as Fawn pulled a lily bud over to brush an eager little wet bluebird.

"_It's in the voice that guides you on the light that leads you home,  
It's in the moment your wings grow and you'll let go  
When you fly with me, let your heart believe …"_

Looking above the clouds, Posy smiled as she saw water fairies squeezing the gentle raindrops from the white puffs above their heads but her green eyes gleamed when she caught sight of the Second Star to the Right that glistened right next to the sun.

"_Dreams can take you anywhere if you just set them free,  
When you're true to who you are, you will always find your star …  
All the wonders you will see when you fly with me …"_

"Posy! Posibelle, come join us," she heard Iridessa call as she turned to see her other friend Fira, another light fairy, and her dive down into the mist that fell around them, trailing rainbow hues behind them.

"_Paint a rainbow in the sky, dance on every cloud,  
The world below is beautiful, keep it like a precious jewel  
Put a smile upon the sun, it shines for everyone,  
Sing the moon a lullaby every night …"_

Joining them, she held her journal under her left arm as she flew down after them in the spray. With the clouds parting in her wake she took her right hand, illuminating the lights down over the ground in several different arrays as she turned to let the sun warm her face as felt herself sliding down one of the rainbows in her wake of ecstasy. Laughing, she felt the shimmering sparkles add a touch of rose to her complexion as she slid down into a sunflower, standing to see her two friends as they came flitting down to join her.

"_When you fly with me, let your heart believe,  
Dreams can take you anywhere, if you just set them free,  
When you're true to who you are, you will always find your star …  
All the wonders you will see when you fly with me … When you fly with me …"_

Falling back onto a sunflower, Posi just hugged her book to her chest as she sighed against the petals in a giggle. "That was fun!"

"Well, sunshine, here in Pixie Hollow, work is play," Fira said with a chuckle as she screwed open some sun jars in her lap.

Laughing with contentment, Iridessa commented, "Took you long enough to join us, what were you doing all morning?"

"Uh … experimenting, I guess," Posy replied with a smile, pinning a lock of her blonde hair back behind her azure vine headband.

"Experimenting?" Fira asked, pulling out a rainbow tube as she collected some light inside it.

"Yeah, I've been examining and collecting different light colors. The color spectrum always fascinates me. There's just so many wonderful hues and they all have uses. I've been keeping them in these," Posy said, pulling out her vials to show Iridessa as she took them from her hand and studied them. "Pretty neat, huh?"

Watching Fira store up some of the rainbow that arced over their home, she said, "I really wish you wouldn't take all of them, Moth, the meadow is beautiful with them."

"Oh, don't worry, Posi," Fira assured her friend as she collected a few more. "We'll make more on the mainland at Fairy Camp, but I'll leave a few here for you. I just need to need to take a few to get us started in between the summer rains."

"I understand," Posy replied, arcing a pale shade of rose with her hand as turned to hear Iridessa talking.

"We light fairies have plenty on our full plate of things to do, but Fawn told me during her last stop up here that their having trouble with the butterflies up there."

"Butterflies?" Posy asked, intrigued.

"You've seen them, right?" Fira asked, looking up from her work.

"Yes, of course I have," Posy said with a small voice.

"Butterflies are commonly born in the spring, but they get their wings near the summer where the animal fairies paint them with their species' colors," they heard a fairy say as she flew over with a brown sash over her shoulder. Dressed in her new soft silver shirt and skirt and blue leggings with her brown hair braided prettily down one shoulder, there stood Nora as she beat her clear wings in a hover. A simple horn, bestowed to her by Queen Clarion, rested near the end of her sash as she heard Cocoa chattering away at her face.

"Where did you hear that, Nora?" River hollered from way above them, peeking out from above a raincloud that hung right above the meadow, her fingerless black gloves holding the edges of one of the clouds.

"How did you know it was Nora, Riv?" Iridessa called up as a few drops gently began to pour just past them.

"Dess, do I really need to explain…" River said before a quiet hand settled on hers as Silvermist poked her head up next to hers.

"I could tell, too, Dess," Silvermist answered for her as River smiled simply in reply.

Posy just smiled as she looked up to admire the rainbow hues again that remained.

"So, you're a scout now, huh?" Iridessa asked, eyeing the sash and the horn with a grin.

"Only when they need an extra pair of listening ears, per say," Nora said with a bit of a chuckle.

"Nora," River called, fluttering down just above them as she stood on the tip of a sunflower. "Aren't you going to answer my question?" She asked with a mischievous grin.

Giggling, Nora leaned back against a lily leaf as she said, "Emma told me."

"Emma, I don't believe I've seen her before," Dessa said as she flew up to help Silvermist as she guided a sunbeam to radiate some of the blooms that laid still wet with moisture.

"Fawn has," Nora said, bending down to tickle Cocoa underneath his chin affectionally. "She likes to stay to herself sometimes, but she is quite the animal fairy."

"Emma," River murmured, thinking to herself for a moment. "Isn't that Winter's little sister that arrived last spring?"

"Yep, that's her," Nora replied with a knowing grin.

Catching on, Rosetta sat a hand to her hip as she came fluttering over as she casually asked, "And, who _is _this Winter that River mentioned?"

"Nobody important," River started as she hopped off her sunflower, unexpectedly making some of the water spray off onto Rosetta as her slighty drenched wings dripped and her wet bangs fell over her eyes.

Hearing Rosetta clear her throat, River turned to where she heard Rosetta say, "Sugar, I don't mean to be sore, but you got me wet."

Posy turned her head for a second as she saw River's dark blue eyes not really looking at Ro as she said, "Sorry, Ro, I didn't see you there."

As River sprinkled a bit of pixie dust over Rosetta's wings to drain the water out, Posy turned to Nora as she asked, "Hey Nora? I know I've asked before, but have you seen or heard any sign of a laugh coming this way?"

As Annora recently found out with her talent, she found that she could hear the littlest inklings of sound in almost anything she touched or heard. Due to a past task of not knowing what her talent was, Nora continued to try several things until she could find something, anything, that could tell her what her talent was. However, she finally found it when she realized that she had it all along and just listened to her own heart. Knowing that Posy was anxiously waiting for her sister's arrival, Nora replied, "Not yet, but the breeze I heard today seemed promising. You never know, she could be on her way here."

Turning back to the rainbow, a small gleam caught her eye as a rippling laugh warbled right down to meet them as a single small marigold petal rode the breeze past them and towards the tree.

Watching Nora's gaze follow hers toward the sound, she watched a smile bloom across Nora's face as her eyes connected with Posy's as she asked, "Is it her?"

Meeting her eyes, Nora smiled as she said, "You got your wish. Go on, we'll all see you at the tree." With a single nod, Nora brought her horn to her lips as her call echoed all the way to the Tree, to where Queen Clarion stood waiting on her balcony with a smile.

As fairies gathered at the Pixie Dust Tree, Posy was enamored to hear the streamings of song ring past her as the minstrel-talents sang around the Tree …

"_Pixie Dust Tree, Pixie Dust Tree, Pixie Dust Tree …  
Golden dust, hear our call!  
(Oh-Aa-Aa-Aaaaaaaaa-Aahh)  
A laugh is on its way, so hear us when we say …  
(May laughter give you wings …)  
Queen Clarions summons all today.  
(OoooOooohhoooo)  
At this very moment, a laugh is on its way …  
So, come and join us as we sing …  
(Welcome … Welcome … Welcome …)  
It's your Arrival Day!"_

Fluttering with all her might, Posy hugged her light weavings journal against her chest as her shimmering wings glowed and changed in her midst.

Making it to the Tree, Posy passed her journal over to Nora to hold for a moment as she met Queen Clarion at the foot of the Well. Clad in her favorite lavender dress and light green leggings, Posy stood next to the Well as Queen Clarion summoned Terence over with a level cup of pixie dust.

Posy's wings never did stop shimmering even as the dust settled over the marigold petal which rested next to a curved leaf. A few seconds passed before the laugh erected into a young fairy with wavy mahogany hair adorned in a flowery delicate marigold top and skirt. Looking up with a smile, they saw that the young fairy had deep emerald brown-shaded eyes almost like Posy's.

Helping the young fairy to stand, Queen Clarion let out a surprised gasp as she brought up the young fairy's wings, which glowed with a glassy iridescent sheen. What made the Queen gasp, though, was the size of her wings. As the markings on the scales vanished and blurred from the Queen's sight, the fairy simply looked over her shoulder as her wings, brimming with pixie dust, shrank down to match her sister's wing size as her curious eyes turned down to where her bare feet stood just underneath the bare leaf.

However, as she bent down and turned it over. Smiling with motherly intentions, the young fairy picked up the small bundle cuddled it up into her arms. Feeling several eyes on her, Mari just continued to smile as all the fairies and sparrow men turned to see a curled up cocoon cradled up in her arms.

* * *

**So, here you go, the new 1st chapter of my new sequel, the Butterfly Trainer. :)**

**I hope this chapter makes a bit more sense to what I had planned, but who knows, the story might change and it will along the way.****I do not own Fira's character or the song "Fly With Me," so they are accredited to Disney Fairies. I just wanted to share it with you, cause when I heard it, I just loved it.**

**However, _Pixie Dust Welcome Arrival_, that is a bit of my song skills. I hope you enjoyed it.  
****Read and review, and let me know what you think in the reviews. Fly with you later. :D**


	2. Chapter 2 - Butterfly Wings

The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter Two

* * *

Worried about the murmurings she heard coming from the Queen's council chambers, Posibelle hugged her journal to her chest as she heard the door open to see Nora peeking out at her.

"Is everything ok, Posi?" she asked, softly shutting the door behind her, so smoothly that Queen Clarion's and the Minister of Summer's voices grew ever so fainter.

"Yes, just a little worried I guess," she said, allowing her wings to droop behind her.

Heeding that something was on her mind, Nora sighed as she sat to her knees next to Posi, where the dust warbled past their feet. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's just … Why wasn't Mari's talent revealed right away at the ceremony?" Posy asked Nora in wonder. "I mean, it doesn't often happen like that, does it?"

"Not always, but take it from me when I say that some fairies' talents reveal themselves in different ways, some more personal than show," Nora said with a small knowing smile.

"What do you mean?" Posi asked, sitting down her journal in her lap.

"Well, take it like this," Nora said as she thought for a minute. "What makes your talent special for you?"

Posi, pausing for a moment, pinned a lock of her blonde hair back as she flipped open her journal and flicked it open to where a shining collection of light strips dyed in rainbow light rested to meet her eyes as she rubbed a gentle hand past them in memory. "Well …"

"These were my very first pages of my spectrum collections, but as my skills led me to explore much more, playing with light just merely became a quick fancy to me. Given a week's time, I had filled this journal with my personal thoughts and observations, but I found it wasn't the knowledge that I learnt in that time alone, it was what I took from it in return," Posy found herself saying as tears streamed down her quiet cheeks.

"In other words, you found your passion within your own interests, thus finding you're own personal talents, right?" Nora prompted her with a grin.

"Exactly," Posy said with a nod, tearing a bit with the memory.

Passing her friend a leafkerchief from one of her pockets, Nora said, "It's not just what you are given or taught, it's about discovering yourself. And, take it from me, Marisol is going to find her talent, in her own way and in her own style, one way or another …"

Hearing the door open behind them, both fairies stood to her feet as Posi stood to see Queen Clarion flitting out behind Mari, who was still holding and babying the small cocoon close to her chest.

"Hey Mari," greeted Posy as she flew over to hug her sister.

However, smiling up into her sister's eyes, Mari just grinned as said, "Hey sis. Do you want to hold Papillion?"

"You named him already?" Posy asked her sister curiously as Mari gently laid the cocoon wrapped in a leaf blanket in her hands.

"Of course, after all … this little guy will be hatching pretty soon any day now," Mari said, rubbing the top of the cocoon with a soft finger.

"How do you know that for sure?" Posy heard a voice say as she turned to see River come surfing up the Tree on a makeshift spray of drops that she immediately bestilled in a hover as she landed. As she held her seashell surfboard under her arm, she sent the water back away in a separate direction, away from the Tree, safely back to Havendish Stream with but a quick gesture of her hand. "And, who exactly is Papillion?"

"This little guy right here," Mari said, holding the cocoon out for River to see. "Isn't he cute?"

"Isn't who cute? I don't see anything," River said, looking up for help as Queen Clarion and Nora came flying over to her side. "Listen, I …"

"Haven't you ever seen a _cocoon_ before?" Mari asked before River could get a word in defense.

Noting River's silence, Mari looked up with a puzzled look as she asked, "What's wrong?"

Taking the moment to gesture River aside, Queen Clarion turned towards Mari as she told her, "Your sister will show you to your house near Sunflower Meadow. When you get your little friend and yourself settled, we'll start your lessons to see where your individual talents may lie."

As Queen Clarion gently led River inside, Mari looked to meet Nora's and her sister's eyes as she said, "Was it something I said?"

"No," Nora said gently, looking back towards the door. "River's just _protective _about anyone knowing about her …"

Putting a hand on Nora's shoulder, Posy spoke up to say, "Annora, I'll tell her. You go check on River, ok?"

"Alright, thanks," Nora said, flying in after Queen Clarion as she shut the door.

* * *

"That's why she doesn't like a lot of people to know," Posy told her sister as they flew over Summer Glade, where the summer blooms spread from one corner to the other and rainbows cascaded down over rivers.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't notice right away. I wouldn't have …" Mari started to say before she saw a sea of sunflowers and marigolds blended in and around her in rapturous shades of gold, orange, and apricot.

"So, what did the Queen have to say about ..." Posy started to ask her sister, wanting to know what went on and what was said about her sister's lack for show of talent.

"What is this place?" Mari then interjected excitedly as she flew down to stroke a flower bud.

"Well, over there is Sunflower Meadow, where the sunflowers often grow, but over here, this particular field is what we called Marigold Grove …" she started to say as she saw her sister dive headfirst into a flower as it closed up over her.

"Mari!" she exclaimed, flying over in alarm as she tried to bend the bud open to release her.

Not even hearing her sister's efforts, Marisol didn't make a peep as she pulled her bare feet in as the petals closed up behind her.

"Marisol, come out of there," Posy called again, worried more now than ever.

"It's ok, I'm fine," came her muted sister's reply as the flower bud simply nodded in reply. "Just give me a minute."

"What's going on?" Iridessa called as she and Rosetta flew over, hearing Posy's protests.

"I don't know what's gotten into her head, but before I knew what she was doing, she dove headfirst straight into that flowering bud," Posy said, turning to see a transparent pair of glass-scaled wings sticking out, flickering out of the bud.

"Oh, my gardenias, I've never heard of such a thing," Rosetta exclaimed, placing her hands alongside the flower. "Hang on, sugar, we'll get you out of there."

Thinking that a butterfly was in the way, Rosetta gently shooed the wings as a wavy mahogany head answered her as the flower unfurled its petals to reveal an unexpected sight. As Posy, Dess, and Ro each gasped in turn, Mari merely sat up on her knees, drenched in nectar as it dripped down her hair and clothes, with her brown-bordered slightly scaled wings unfurled behind her and her hands entwined some of the nectarines of the bloom.

Absolutely stunned, Posy just pulled her sister out of the flower as she asked, "Marisol, what were you thinking? What were you doing?"

Immediately picking up an umbrella leaf to cover and dry off Mari, Iridessa just stared as she asked, "And, what's up with your wings? They're huge!"

Shrugging as if it was nothing, Mari just answered back, "They just do that sometimes, I guess."

Turning to Posy in awe, Rosetta said, "Sweetie, if I wasn't so sure, I would say that your sister is part-butterfly."

* * *

While Posy sorted through some clothes in an armoire by Mari's golden marigold sheets, a stream of milkweed water was heard as Rosetta poured a pitcher over Mari's head as a wing-washer fairy, summoned by Rosetta, named Hanna gently rinsed out Mari's extended wings as they laid out over the acorn tub.

Laying out a fresh red flower top, some tough leaf leggings, and a new adorned marigold skirt across her bed, Posy called from the room, "How did this even happen to you?"

"I don't know, I've had them ever since I arrived, ok?" Mari called from the room as Hanna came flying out to collect Mari's clothes Posy had laid out on the bed. Without a word, Hanna gathered them up in her hands and flew back into the other room as Rosetta flew out to find a brush for Mari.

"Easy Sweetpea, Posibelle's just trying to help," Rosetta called as she sat waiting near the door in one of Mari's flower chairs.

Clean and dressed, Mari stepped out into the main room as Rosetta flew over to hand her the comb, to which Mari immediately grabbed a stray petal from her chest and tied up half of her hair in a ponytail, leaving the other half of it waving down past her shoulder.

"I know, I'm sorry," Mari said, turning to stare at her reflection. "I'm just as puzzled as you are."

"What happened, do you remember?" Posy asked her sister.

"Not exactly," Mari sort of answered as she gazed back to where Posy had laid Papillion's cocoon. "It's all sort of a blur."

Noticing where her sister was peering, Mari asked, "Where did Papillion come from?"

"Now that, I do remember," Mari said, sitting down. "In a quiet spot in the Never Land Woods, right before I was blown into Pixie Hollow, a breeze knocked his leaf into me as we both got swept up to the Pixie Dust Tree. Studying the green cocoon, I guess I just sort of knew what he was going to be later on."

"And, do you know what kind of butterfly he's going to be?"

With a smile, Mari said positively, "A Blue Morpho, if I am correct."

Hearing Rosetta gasp, Mari just grinned as Ro said, "Sugar, if you're right, then the Hollow is going to see its first Blue Morpho in years."

"Well, speaking of which, I think we should see Queen Clarion as soon as possible about this. She'll want to know, and maybe she'll help us figure out what's going on," Posy said, sitting down for a moment in one of her sister's daisy stool chairs.

Holding up a few pair of dainty fairy shoes, Rosetta immediately went to showering Mari with fashion sense as she held up one pair of shoes after another, having her try on several others before Mari found a sensible pair she liked. Posi, concerned about her sister, found herself sketching a picture of Mari's clear detailed wings as she thought of what could have caused her sister's butterfly mannerisms.

* * *

**Well, hopefully this follows around the events of chapter 1 pretty accurately.  
Wherever this story leads me to write, I hope you guys will enjoy it. :)**

**Please read and review, if you have anything you might want me to add in or any ideas you might have for the sisters' journey. Fly with you all later. :D**


	3. Chapter 3 - Friendly Advice

The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter 3

* * *

Closing up her door to her nicely trimmed bird nest cottage, Nora waved down to a dozy Cocoa as his head rested down on his little paws inside his little cozy mouse house. Since those two were almost inseparable, Torum had, together with their sister Bluebell, surprised Nora one day by unveiling a tiny little den home made especially for Cocoa.

Smiling at the memory, Nora hovered to open her locket around her neck her sister had made for her out of periwinkle petals and ferns. Inside rested a fairy portrait of both her sister and brother painted by Bess, who was one of Pixie Hollow's most special artists.

Sighing to herself, Nora held her locket close as she took off with her calla lily horn strapped down at her side as she zoomed off to the Pixie Dust Tree.

Pausing between Havendish Stream and the Tearoom, she waved to Teal as she saw her rushing into the Tearoom, late for her shift. "Hi, Teal!"

"Sorry I can't talk, Nora," Teal called out the door. "I've got a huge order to clear this morning. One of the cooks came down with the Fairy Rash, so I'm needed in the kitchen. Maybe I'll see you later, ok?"

"Alright then, fly with you later," Nora called, laughing to herself as she heard her friend call back, "_Be careful!"_

As Nora reached the edge of the Tree, an eager call reached her ears as she looked down to see a sudden white head surf across and down the Stream, leaving a trail of frost in his wake. Knowing well who it was, all Nora did was smile as she flew up to go into the Tree.

Down below, the sparrow man continued to skate as the water froze to immediate ice at his touch. Skidding to a halt, he dusted off his blue frosty top and looked fondly down to the water that continued to flow even under his ice. Bending down, he gazed into a hole his frost left behind as a little fish popped up to blow bubbles in his face. Laughing, he skidded back as a sudden gleam caught his eye.

Picking up a broken-off piece of jewelry, he smiled secretly to himself as he looked over both of his shoulders as he hid it in his pocket for later. As he did so, a splash of water and a sweet voice caught his ear as he jumped off his frosty wake and ran off into the ferns.

"_What makes a river flow? Open the leaves of trees as they grow  
It's the wings of the world that's just out of you …_

Parting the reeds, Winter smiled as his icy blue eyes caught sight of a vision of blue as River, with her shiny black hair pulled back in a silky ponytail, threw up some sprays around her into the air.

"_Wonder is all around, Raising each seed in the ground  
If you only believe the magic is true, Just like the magic in you …"_

Winter rested his head against the reeds as River gathered all of the sprays into one big sphere that hovered just close to her hands. Inspired, River just closed her eyes as she clicked her fingers. The shimmering sphere just rippled in reply as a splash made a pod of fish surface just under her.

"_But your might may feel small now, And dreams can seem so far  
You never know, your simple glow, Can light a brand new star  
'Cuz every heart is a perfect part of nature's great design  
And who you are can shine!"_

As little fish appeared below the lake, their bubbles immediately began to blow as River flew down in between them, summoning them up to follow her as she flew back up, leaving the bubbles behind to hover as she let a sharp whistle.

"_Now you are on your way … Waking to see what treasures awake,  
And you're finding the joy in everything.  
Trusting in how you feel, Hopes become dreams and dreams become real  
With the help that you give, and the beauty you bring ..."_

From his spot, Winter watched as a tiny green spotted firefly moved a tiny spotlight into the shimmering spray as the whole drop transformed as River waved her hands about it. Watching the form take shape, Winter parted the reeds to walk closer as he felt a few of River's river sparrows rush past his shoulders as a small birchpad sketchbook knocked against his foot. Opening it, his eyes grew big at the sight in front of him as water started to string down from River's fountain she was constructing in her wake.

"_Winter is turning to spring," _ he heard her sing as he held her notebook aloft as he watched her sprinkle capped snowflakes atop her grand fountain as they quickly turned into spinning droplets in the morning's warm wake.

"_Your might may feel small, and dreams can seem so far  
You never know, your simple glow,Can light a brand new star  
'Cuz every heart is a perfect part of nature's great design …"_

As River slid down one of the sprays, she turned to listen to her creation as its song filled her ears.

"… _No matter who you are … You … can … Shine!"_

Winter's applause was so sudden that River lost her concentration on holding her fountain intact as it suddenly collapsed about her. Hearing the rush above her, River was prepared to dive out of the way before she felt a tight grip grab hold of her wrist. Pulling her out of the way of the falling swell, Winter sheltered River as all the water fell on top of him and made him splash over into the shallows.

Catching herself, River just grimaced as she pulled whoever had ahold of her hand back to shore as felt the familiar sheen of Winter's ice powers across her palm.

Helping him stand, she told him, "You need to learn to let someone know you're there before you sneak up on somebody like that. Are you alright?"

"I wasn't sneaking up on you," Winter told her as he rung out his jacket over the shallow lake.

"Then, what were you doing?" She asked him, quite seriously.

"Ok, I was watching you and your craft," he said, flapping out her book over the lake, "lay off the third decree, alright?"

Arcing her eyebrows, River frowned when she heard the pages of her sketchbook ruffle. "What's that you've got?"

Knowing that he was busted, Winter handed her the sketchbook as he said, "Here. I couldn't resist."

"You should've asked," she said, surprisingly not even agitated at the mess that happened.

Puzzled on why she wasn't upset at him, he asked her, "Why do you never show people your sketches? They're quite impressive, you know?"

"You're just being nice, but thank you," she said softly, handing him the book. "Here, you can keep it if you want it."

"Riv …" he started to say before she sat it in his hands and took off flying, away from him and the lake.

Running after her, he tucked the book under his arm as he followed her past the clearing that led to her house. Hearing Torch by her ear, River followed her little firefly all the way past the meadow as she landed in the clearing near her house as she heard Winter speak up behind her.

"Riv, hold on," he started to say as he caught his breath.

"Don't you have to be somewhere?" she asked him, anxious to go inside.

"River, are you alright?" he asked her kindly. "What were you working on back there, if you don't mind me asking?"

Silent for a moment, River thought for a few seconds before she said, "A little bit of it was me practicing my fountain making skills for when I go Fairy Camp with the next squadron of water fairies next week, but most of it … well, I …"

"You were shaping water to what you felt and saw in your sketches, weren't you?" he asked her with a smile.

"A little, I guess," she said, shyly hiding a smile of her own.

"A blind artist, I've never heard of such a thing …" Winter started to say before he felt a sudden wash of water hit him in the face and sent him soaked down to his knees. "Hey, what was that for?"

Seething, River relinguished the spray that still laid ready at her hand as it fell back into the water. "Look, just because I can't …"

"Riv, easy," Winter said to cut her off. "You didn't think I knew? That wasn't making fun, it was a compliment. Really …"

River just lowered her head as Winter put his hand in his pocket to pull out a shimmering bejeweled clip he had been working on. Placing it in her hand, he said, "Thanks for the book, Riv. Keep up the great work, and I'll see you later, ok?"

Hearing him flutter away, River stayed silent as she felt Torch teasingly pull at her ponytail. Saying nothing, she felt the present he laid in her hand with a smile. Turning to her door, she walked over to her door and pinning the pin in her hair, she smiled as she shut the door back behind her.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Posy and Mari were waiting in Queen Clarion's chamber wing, Nora waited by the door as Queen Clarion escorted them into an air-cooled special room in the Pixie Dust Tree.

Mari shivered as frost coated the walls, but looking back she felt it subside as she watched the brown hued edges of her glass tipped scaled wings shrink to fit her fairy size. A sudden screech made her turn her head as a fairy seated at a desk and a sparrow man lending on a staff flew over to meet them at the door.

"Ah, Queen Clarion, lovely to see you, my Queen," the sparrow man said as he bowed slightly. Behind him, the tall fairy dressed in a silver clad leaf dress stood to her feet as she flicked back her silver ponytail to the side as she held a book in her hands.

"Have you found anything that might us help us learn about about my sister's condition?" Posy asked them as she placed a hand on Mari's shoulder.

"Nothing so far, I'm afraid, but seeing the contrast of Mari's unique wing shape, I did find something that resembled the glass scales you told me about," Lia said as she flicked open the book she had to a page on different types of butterfly species. Turning the book to face them, she recited, "Based on your sister's description, your wings match those of the _Greta oto,_ more commonly known as the Glasswinged Butterfly. I'm not saying that you are one of these, but that your wing pattern is the same when they grow."

"So, what are you saying?" Mari wanted to know, wanting to get out of the cold.

"I'm saying that it is quite possibly that you have may have inherited their wing type, but I have no idea why. I'm just going by what you said," Lia said, placing down the book as she felt her falcon nudge her shoulder.

"There should be a scientific explanation, but it is apparent that whatever you experienced happened back when you were still a laugh," Dewey said, coming over to inspect Mari's wings. "Although the evidence is not present now, there is a way we can look back to see what happened during your journey."

"How?" Mari asked, following Queen Clarion's gesture over to the wall where a small Pixie Dust trail flowed into the Tree. Right above it, a small prism of light was being switched on as Dewey took her hand to guide her over to the small door that laid against the Wall of the Tree.

* * *

**Once again, all credit to Disney Fairies with the Song "Shine." :)**

**Due to the length of this chapter, I wanted to introduce Winter into the story somehow, and I hope this touching scene shows why. And the smaller part of the story will be continued into the forwarding scenes to where why Mari is experiencing butterfly wings. The secret or gift, well ... I'll see what comes.**

**Any suggestions or guesses as to how or why you think Mari is part-butterfly, I would love to hear your thoughts or opinions in the reviews.  
Fly with you all later.**


	4. Chapter 4 - Mari's Flute

The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter Four

* * *

Ushering Mari into the center of the dimmed lighted room, Mari fluttered over to the pedestal curiously as Dewey adjusted the firefly lights. With just a tap of his staff, the fireflies awoke to invoke a glitter-like glow around the room, illuminating a golden flower that sat in the middle of the room.

Gasping, Mari felt herself tingle as the flower's glow reflected across her eyes. Almost tempted to touch it, she looked towards Dewey as he just nodded his head in consent.

Brushing a finger over it, Mari fluttered back as the golden flower unfurled its petals in a spinning aurora display, illuminating the whole room with a rainbow display.

"Wow," Mari heard her sister say as Posibelle stunningly stepped into the room. Sighing, Posi just leaned against the wall in awe as she watched the colors dance and play in front of her eyes. "Beautiful …"

"Yes, it is," Queen Clarion said, fluttering in through the door. "What you see before you is the Aurora Dust Bloom. It was found deep in the Pixie Dust Well one season long ago, and we have recently found that it serves a magical purpose."

Watching Mari curiously wrapping her hands around the bloom, Queen Clarion said, "Go ahead, both you and Posi hold it up into the light and see what happens."

Smiling up at her sister, Mari smiled as Posibelle joined her at her side. With both of the siblings' hands around the bloom, the flower then glowed as a shimmering light shot up to the top of the room and dissolved into a shower of golden pixie dust.

_Hoo hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo hoo-hoo ..._

The whole room seemed to sing as both of the siblings' wings glowed behind them. The golden dust dancing off their wings, the dust swirled to the tune as the scene changed to show a quaint little woodland home with an open canopy window letting in the sunshine. A laugh was heard as it came rippling out into the breeze that carried it, but closing in, it revealed to be two as they each took a different path.

_Hear the wind, carry thee  
Come along, Feel thy wings  
A journey that waits, don't tarry too long  
Wait not for the wind, the path sure is strong…_

Mari heard the familiar tug of the message that radiated deep in her core as she heard the message that made her journey take longer. Following the whispers, she watched as her journey landed on the petals of a marigold bloom in the deep evergreen woods that separated her from the breeze that was seeking her out. A promise of home was felt as she in her heart saw Never Land waiting for her, but a promise of wonder followed her as she paused down on a flower bud, where she landed right next to a butterfly.

"So, that's what happened," Mari said to herself as she saw the moment come alive, watching as the curious butterfly lifted the shimmering light on his back for a ride.

_Hear the breeze at thy back, time is flying on  
Our time short is here, we must fly  
Greet the day with sun all aglow,  
Trust your heart, it knows the way to go …_

In a blink, Mari saw the week she passed away on the mainland, slightly merging with the butterfly as they flew. Remembering the grand time she had, Mari felt her wings shimmer in memory as she felt the next tug on her heart. As the butterfly faded away into the golden dust, Mari heard a crack echo past her ears as the butterfly disappeared and there the laugh continued to fly as it settled down near the stream, waiting out the day. Finally, the wind tracked her down as it swept her back on course. Crossing the Second Star and over the Never Sea, Mari remembered the last words the butterfly had sung to her …

_You're met for great things, remember the path  
Ye shall find thy way, wait for that one day  
Break away and find, a treasure, a friend,  
I leave behind, I give you my wings …_

"That wasn't long before I came across Papillion's cocoon," Mari said, looking up at Queen Clarion as the images faded. "Thasly, she showed me so many things on the Mainland, and I didn't want to forget them. She looked after me, but she knew I couldn't stay. And, neither did she tell me …"

Looking back at her wings, Mari shed a tear for her friend as her brown hued scales glittered in the light.

"That's probably what happened right there, she passed on her wings to you," Nora said, coming forward. "But, gaining the wings, you also displayed some of the habits you picked up on with your time with her."

"Just like flying into that flower just to taste the nectar, and making me worried about you …" Posy reminded her sister with a chuckle.

"It was her gift, and a very noble one at that," Queen Clarion said she opened the door for them as they fluttered back out into sunshine.

Lifting her wings, Mari smiled as the sun warmed them up. Thinking about Papillion, she turned her head towards the direction to summer, where she knew he was back at her house.

Posy coming over to sit a hand down on her sister's shoulder, she said, "What is it, Mari?"

"I guess I'm just wondering how Papillion's doing, I can sense he's about to …" Mari started to say as both of them turned to see Queen Clarion holding out a small leaf wrapped package to give to her.

"Well, in that case, I want you to have something Marisol," Clarion said, taking her young butterfly fairy's hand. Folding the gift over in Mari's fingers, the Queen cupped her hand to say, "Take this flute, and may its song help you remember your friend. Also, I have a feeling you will need it."

Unwrapping it, Mari pulled a slender small reed flute attached to a firm but strong necklace. With a smile, she tied around her neck as she held the flute aloft in her hand, turning it around to study it further. _I wonder how it sounds, _she thought to herself. _Should I play it now and see what happens, or should I wait …?_

"Why don't you see how it sounds?" Nora told her with a smile, heeding what was on her mind. Encouraging her, Nora said, "You never know what might happen …"

Hovering there for a minute in the hanging sun, Mari brought the flute to her lips as a swirl of pixie dust surrounded her. With her eyes closed, Mari felt a reassuring glow pass through her as her wings transformed. Fluttering there in front of them all, Mari opened her eyes to see her sister's eyes shimmer in tears as she looked back to see her wings. They were fairy sized, the same as her sister's, but the design had changed to include her glassy sheen and brown hues upon their edges. And, holding the flute in her hands, she saw that it had changed, too.

Letting her silver flute fall to her neck, Mari felt her fairy glow begin as traces of pixie dust fell from her fingertips. "I am a Never Fairy, aren't I?" she asked, relieved tears streaming down her cheeks.

"When were you not, Mari?" her sister asked her. "I'm just glad you're here."

With a smile, Marisol hugged her sister as the two cried happy tears. "So am I."

"How did you know, Queen Clarion?" Nora asked her mentor. "How did you know Marisol was a butterfly herder?"

"I didn't," Queen Clarion said wisely, "at least not at first. When talents find the right moment to reveal themselves, it comes out as quite a treasure just as you have learned with your experience. But, there are cases such as Mari's, that when the truth is hidden from view that it takes the right tool, or thing that's special to the bearer, to allow their talent to come to light."

"Huh?" Mari said, catching ahold of some of Queen Clarion's words. Looking up, she heard her sister exclaim as she tugged on her sister's sleeve.

"Mari, look!"

Turning around, Marisol just squealed as she saw a butterfly come flying up to meet her. Flapping his flashing blue majestic wings, the young blue Morpho landed on the Tree as Mari leaned forward to hum the melody she learned in his ears. "You're all grown up now," she whispered, giving his antennas a fond rub. "But I promise you, I will never let anything happen to you."

* * *

**Two chapters in one night, wow. Here's chapter 4 on the verge of inspiration and a little bit of research. :)**

**The little song, I called it _Thasly's Song_. Thasly (I pronounce it, Thas-lee). My original idea revolved around the possible idea of mimicry, falling on Mari's part, but I think this chapter described a lot better. I hope you like it, I know I do. :)**

**Next up comes the events that bring them to the Mainland, so sit tight and fly safely.  
Oh, and I've added the cover image for this fic, but I apologize for not getting the full scene in there. I'll have to keep trying on that, if the site will let me.**


	5. Chapter 5 - Summer Tidings

The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter 5

* * *

_**Almost 2 weeks ago, near a little summer cottage outside of London …**_

"Father, Father!" a sweet young girl cried as she opened the door and hurried down the steps, holding a precious little house to her chest. Sitting it down under a big oak tree, she hurried off into the garden where she knew her Father was working.

"Just a moment, Lizzy," her father said, clicking the lens of a camera as the shutter clicked, depositing an instant picture of a beautiful speckled yellow butterfly in his hands. "Ah, a fine example of a _pair of ovum_ …" he murmured, turning to his research journal. Mentally taking note of the butterfly's length and his wings, he made a quick sketch of the butterfly as it unnoticeably took off.

"Father, what a beautiful day," Lizzy started to say as she skipped to a stop as she witnessed a jar right next to her father's foot where he rose up to meet his daughter's gaze. "What are you doing, Father? More research?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so, my dear," he said, rubbing his daughter's hand. "The trustees want to see my latest report, and I must finish this up today before the week's end. I'm due back in London for my exhibition in just three days."

"Three days?" Lizzy cried. "But we just got here, and summer's just begun … Oh Father, I wish we didn't have to leave so soon …"

Taking his daughter in his arms, Dr. Griffins gave his daughter a hug before he said, "That's why you're staying here."

"What?" Lizzy asked, confused.

"I've arranged Mrs. Perkins to stay with you, just until I return," he explained, seeing his daughter's gentle ever watchful eyes. "I know I promised I'd be here with you all summer, and I will. However, this was just a scientific-out-of-the-blue opportunity and they wanted my answer right away, but I didn't think how it would affect you if I took the offer without consulting you first. That's why I'm telling you now, but … in consideration of you, what do you think we should do?"

Knowing how much his words meant, her mind going back to the events that played out that one summer when she had first met Tinker Bell and her friends and how it then affected him, Lizzy thought for a second before she said, "This is a wonderful opportunity for you, and you shouldn't miss it because of me. I'll be fine here with Ms. Perkins." Smiling at him, she helped her father collect up his research as she asked, "Exactly how long will you be gone?"

"About a week at most, but the voyage back may be a little bit," he replied as they made their way back to the house. "However, I think Ms. Perkins told me that she was bringing along someone to help keep you company while I'm away."

"Who is it?" Lizzy asked her father as he sat his stuff in just inside the door, where Mr. Twitches came lazily prancing out the door.

"Why, little Niabi, her niece …" Dr. Griffins said before a sudden shriek made its up the path as their heads turned to see a little blonde girl in a tea-green dyed dress run off the drive and through their gate.

"Lizzy!" she screamed in glee as she ran into Lizzy's arms.

"Nia, it's wonderful to see you," Lizzy told her, holding her tight.

"It has been a while since either of you got to see one another, so I brought her along so you two could reconcile," Lizzy and her Father heard Ms. Perkins say as she came walking next to the gate. Pausing at the gate, she called for someone behind her to hurry up, "Thomas! Thomas, would you come on, you're going to have a marvelous time here …"

As Nia ran to meet her brother, Lizzy turned to see her Father's knowing expression as she whispered, "_Tommy? Did she really have to bring Tommy, too?"_

"_Now Lizzy …" _her Father started to say.

"_You know how he's always picked on me …"_

"_It's just for a while," _he reassured her. _"I honestly didn't know that she was bringing him at first, but Ms. Perkins said her brother called in sick at the airport and asked if she would take the kids …"_

Tightening her nephew's blue jacket, Ms. Perkins fussed over Tommy as his darted brown eyes frowned up to see the cottage.

"_I'm afraid you'll just have to make the best of it for now," _ Mr. Griffins said to Lizzy as he stood to meet Ms. Perkins as she came towards the door.

Meeting Lizzy's guarded expression, Tommy huffed silently to himself as Mrs. Perkins ushered them all inside the cottage for some tea.

* * *

_**Back in Pixie Hollow, Present Time**_

"What do you mean the departure time got delayed?" Nora asked her friend as they both sat down for lunch in the Tearoom. Stirring her Daisy Petal Tea, Nora said, "Weren't the water fairies supposed to leave this morning with this week's rain supply?"

Taking a bite of her acorn pancakes, River wiped her mouth with a leaferchief as she replied, "Yes, but due to the natural rain showers across the Never Sea, it's put us behind schedule. And, everybody knows that you can't fly through the rain. So, we should all be ready to go by tonight if nothing goes wrong."

"What happened?" River heard Winter say as he joined their table with a frozen tray of cherry icicles and side of blueberry truffles.

Squinting her eyes, River lowered her head as she said, "As if you didn't know." Turning to where she felt Nora's curious eyes directed towards her, she replied, "One or two of our crystal shell chalices shattered and spilled over a week's worth of water that we needed to start the rain up with at the Mainland. Someone here couldn't resist touching one of the buckets …"

Winter hid one of his hands under the table as some frost coated his spoon as Teal came flying over with two pitchers in her hands as she asked, "Hold up, what exactly happened?"

"Frosty over here bumped into a row of ready-to-go water containers, and before we could do anything, everything froze solid and shattered into pieces. We gathered up what we could of the excess water, but we need at least another container or two to take with us. Tink has been working on the repairs together with Silvermist."

"Hey, I just wanted to see if you needed any help with your preparations …" Winter started to say.

"Well, I didn't," River said stubbornly.

Sensing the tension, Teal sat down a pitcher of ice water in front of them as she wiped her hands on her apron as she said, "Calm down you two. It was just an accident. Besides, couldn't you and the other water talents make more rain when you get over there?"

"You didn't hear about the drought?" River asked her as Winter chewed on a mint leaf. "There's a shortage."

"It's just a slight one, though," Winter corrected her. "It's just been so warm up there."

"That's going to change when I get up there. I've been working on my water techniques for weeks," River said proudly. "Everyone is going to have water."

"And, I'm going along, too," Winter said as he sipped his ice water. "I'm going to help chart the humidity levels and make sure no one gets overheated during the day. During the night, it's not so bad."

"I think we can take care of _ourselves_, thank you" River said rather suddenly. Nora and Teal wearily shared a look as River lashed out again saying, "Just what business does a _frost _talent have to do on the Mainland in the Summer?"

Completely amused, Winter said nothing as he just looked up with a chuckle in his eye. "Haven't you heard that ice can be a handy thing to have in warm weather?"

"Wouldn't it be dangerous for you?" she asked him with plain seriousness.

Chuckling, Winter smiled at the clip River wore in her hair that he had given her. "You're forgetting that I used to be a water talent sparrow man," he said genially. "If you're worried, don't be. I can take care of myself, just like how I know you can."

"I'm not worried," River said, hiding a gale of concern in her eyes.

"Are you sure? You sure do look like it …" a young fairy said as she came flitting over to join the conversation. Emma was her name, and she was Winter's artistic sister. Pulling aside her short brown ponytail, she gave her brother a quick hug as she caught whiff of River's anxiety.

"Em," Winter quieted his sister as both he and she got up to flit out the door.

"Winter, what was that for? What did you do?" Emma asked her brother as he explained in a whisper as they flew past the Pixie Dust Well. Giggling, Emma just said, "You love getting River riled up, don't you?"

"I don't mean to, it just happened," Winter said, looking over his shoulder as he saw River and Nora fly out of the Tearoom and back into the meadows. "I really was just seeing if I could help, but River's the kind of fairy she prefers to do things herself and not have anything done for her."

"Yeah, but wouldn't anyone else?" Emma asked him with a clever, knowing smile.

"I know, it's just …" he started to say.

"You don't want to see her get hurt," Emma replied.

"Yeah, and …"

"And …?" Emma urged him to say. With a keen smile, she asked, "You like her, don't you?"

Stopping mid-flutter, Winter touched down on a big leaf as he felt frost form at his landing. Brushing off some of the excess dust off his arms, he slid down the leaf as he said, "Is it that obvious?"

With a chuckle, Emma flew down to match her brother's steps as they neared an enormous dogwood tree near the edge of Spring Valley, where a touch of winter snow was forming near the end of the quiet meadow. "Hey, if I can discern what an animal thinks, then I definitely can with you. I know you too well, don't forget that."

"I know," Winter said as he began to walk up the staircase he had constructed around the tree, so he could easily climb up to his treehouse rather than fly up.

"You know, that's one thing I never could get with you," Emma said, indicating at her brother's knack for walking. "Everybody else pretty much around here flies, but with you it's walking. What gives?"

"Let's just say I prefer to keep my feet on the ground," he said simply, stopping at the top of his balcony. "Flying is convenient I'll agree, but sometimes you have to be quick on your feet and not just at ease." Pointing to his brain, he clicked a switch that made a funny noise as a small firefly light illuminated the inside of his house.

Pausing at his door as he saw Emma suddenly jump up in realization. "Forget something?"

"Oh no, I forgot, I was supposed to be helping Mari prep the butterflies for transportsation," Emma said, flying up.

"Aren't there already …" Winter started to say before Emma read his mind.

"Of course there are, but some of the butterflies we raise here in Pixie Hollow are native to the Mainland. And, the new arrivals … well, they're almost ready to hatch. Mari and I are working on training the butterflies to respond to different notes or phrases, which will play key in guiding the butterflies to them to the Mainland, where they will eventually learn to adapt to life themselves," Emma told him, pulling out a small whistle out of her skirt pocket.

"You sound like Mari," Winter told her with a chuckle.

"Turns out she knows her stuff about them, almost naturally I guess. I'm not kidding," she said wistfully. "If that fairy wasn't a herder, she would be an animal fairy like me." Then, she thought to herself for a minute. "Then again, you could probably count her as one since she's …"

"Emma," Winter called, reminding her where she was going. "Isn't she expecting you?"

"Oh yeah, thanks," Emma muttered with a thankful grin. Blowing on her whistle, she trilled in the brush as a swift tiger butterfly came flying out of the green as Emma caught a ride back towards Summer Vale, where the summer preparations were well at hand and ready to go.

* * *

**Next up, _To the Mainland_. This one is a little more of a filter chapter, but I wanted to introduce a little about what's going to happen and what leads up to the next sequence of events.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because there is more to come. :)  
R&amp;R, fly with you soon!**


	6. Chapter 6 - To The Mainland

The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter 6

* * *

"Hey, you guys doing alright in there?" Mari whispered as Emma landed next to her. Turning to see her friend, Mari carefully shut the door to the canopy comb and said, "They're all set to go."

"It was awfully nice for the bees to let us use one of their hives," Emma said, coaxing her little tiger butterfly to her side.

"Yeah, especially after we helped them clean it out. Are you sure it's safe enough for them?" Mari asked her in theory.

"It's only a short pass to the Mainland, so yeah, it's only so we can keep track of them on the way over there," Emma said, checking the windows. Doing a quick count, she asked, "Hey, where's your butterfly pal? Isn't he coming along?"

"Oh Papillion?" Mari asked, stopping to open her wings in the warm sun. "No, I told him to stay home."

"Why?"

Turning to look up at the Second Star, Mari said, "I just don't want anything to happen to him."

"So, you want to protect him by leaving him here?" Emma asked, discerning her friend's thoughts.

"Precisely," Mari replied, occupying herself with securing the twine to the Dove that waited nearby. "A lot of things could happen to him there."

"A lot could happen here, too, remember?" Emma said, flying over to help. "Wouldn't he be safer coming along with us, especially with all the training we've done with them?"

"Well, of course …" Mari started to say, feeling for her whistle.

"What's wrong?"

"My whistle, it's gone," Mari started to say before they heard a sharp _WEEEEEE_ whistle past their heads.

Looking up, they saw a mischievous grin on a particular little blue butterfly as he blew it again. Landing on a branch just above them, Emma just laughed as she said, "I don't think he's taking no for an answer."

Flying up to intercept him, Mari brushed back her hair as she looked around for him as she landed on the branch herself. Within a second though, a tiny little silver whistle dangled in front of her eyes as she felt the weight of two or four little legs perch on her head and shoulders.

Peering up to meet Papillion's, she chuckled as she said, "Ok, you can come. Can I have my whistle back now?"

"Hey you two, we've fixing to go," Emma heard her brother call out from across the meadow. Flitting higher, Winter cupped his hands as he called, "Everything's all ready on this end. "

"We're ready over here," another shouted among the light fairies, where Posy smiled over at Mari with a leafsack over her shoulder.

As other voices sounded off, the signal sounded off as the fairies and sparrow men took to the air. Taking quick doses of pixie dust at the Pixie Dust Tree, they rounded its branches as they launched themselves towards the Second Star to the Right and out over the Never Sea.

Keeping up with the current, Mari paused long enough to stroke Papillion's antennas as she signaled for him to go on, murmuring, '_It is true that the flute is special to me since this was a gift from Queen Clarion, but you are more important to me than a million turnabouts of the seasons themselves …'_

_We'll be there … at the first breath of spring  
When the birds start to sing … and the grass starts growing_  
_We'll be there … in the still summer heat  
With the meadow's gleaming gold …_

The sea sparkled amidst the trail of dust that shimmered as they flew past the Second Star and out past the clouds. The midst of wings separated into groups as they scattered and dove down towards the Mainland which arose in their midst.

_We'll be there on the crisp autumn days …  
With the leaves all ablaze … in the cool breeze blowing…  
We'll be there for it every year … As we've been since days of old …_

Pausing in the sky, the light fairies uncapped some of the rainbow tubes and sent them flying over the skies as others took the tails and filled the sky with colors. Sliding down one of the rainbows, Posy blew some of her colored sunbeams in several directions, creating shimmering shadows of rainbow light across everything.

_For what if the world is wider than we ever knew? …  
And through the seasons … didn't we dream of something more?  
What if we brave the great unknown? … What if we're not so all alone?  
What if it's you I'm searching for?_

Mari unfurled her wings as she hopped off Papillion's back as she saw the huge maple that she had supposedly heard about.

"There's Fairy Camp," she heard Emma say as she called for Papillion to join the other butterflies in the Meadow. "Excited?" She asked Mari before she flew after the herd that flew out into the field.

"I guess," Mari started to say before she heard someone shout for help just behind the Tree.

"Everyone scatter! HIDE! NOW!" a scout hollered from just behind the Tree as every fairy and sparrow men grabbed what they could and zipped into the roots of the Tree. Quickly releasing the birds from the baskets, the animal fairies shooed them away into the higher branches as everyone else herded the animals inside the camp.

"Quickly Cocoa, this way," they heard Nora say as she came riding in atop his back with River holding Torch right behind her.

"Papillion, where are you?" Mari shouted immediately in the sudden ruckus as she felt a hand take hold of her wrist and pull her in.

"He can take care of himself, sweetie," Rosetta said, herding her inside. "Come on, quickly!"

"What's going on exactly?" Mari wanted to know.

"Everyone quiet," replied the scout, shushing them. "A human boy is approaching from the west."

"A what …?" Mari started to say before the shadow of a black shoe filled the canopy they were all ducked behind.

Sighing, the boy sat down with his head in his hands with his back facing the truck. Pressing a button on something in his pocket, he shut his eyes as he lifted some isolate earphones to his ears in silence.

"What's wrong with him?" Mari wondered as she watched him with concern.

"I'm not sure, but we can't send everyone out at once or he'll spot us for sure," the scout said as he came sliding down the trunk. "We're going to have to send a few of you out at a time, so light fairies and garden fairies with me …"

Watching the scout sparrow man usher them out the back way, Mari stepped out from under the canopy before a tall purple adorned fairy stopped her.

"Ah, Sweetie, what do you think you're doing?" Vidia immediately asked her as Mari ducked past her.

Flapping her wings in a hover, she said, "Trying to see if the boy is alright. I don't see either one of you trying."

"Perhaps you haven't heard," Vidia replied. "Humans are dangerous."

"Vidia, not always," Tink said, speaking in favor of Lizzy. "Remember Lizzy?"

"Of course I do, but we don't know how every human would react if they saw us," Vidia replied, making a point, readily thinking back to the past. "Some of them might put us in jars, just like they do to those poor butterflies."

"What?!" Mari exclaimed, appalled.

"It's true that some Clumsies collect things, sugarcane," Rosetta warned her.

"Yeah, especially for their scientific gains," Dessa said, following the others behind the Tree.

"We're not sure what's going on, but the butterflies have started to disappear one by one over the past two weeks, but we find them later among the few who haven't been captured yet," Fawn said, coming out from inside the Tree. "We aren't sure who it is that's doing this, but we do know that Lizzy's Father is out of town."

Flapping her wings excitedly, Tink asked, "Lizzy is at the cottage?"

"Yeah, I checked in on her when I first got here, but she wasn't alone. Two other kids and an older lady is staying with her at the cottage, so I technically didn't get to check in with her. Sorry Tink," she said, knowing how much Lizzy meant to Tink.

"Who's Lizzy?" Mari asked, still curious.

"She's the girl who 'captured' me," Tink said kiddingly.

"What?" River asked, looking towards them.

"Long story," Vidia said, flying out past them all, creating a thin breeze in her path.

"But still, shouldn't we see how he is?" Mari said, flitting ever higher.

Stepping forward, Nora flew up to meet her with Posy right behind her. "I don't think we'll have to wait for that …"

"THOMAS!" the call reached their ears as Nora backed into the leaves while Posy pulled her sister closer to a knothole in the Tree as the boy opened his eyes, knowing his aunt's shrill call anywhere. Sighing, Thomas stood to his feet and quickly made his way up the walk, back to the cottage where Ms. Perkins answered the door.

"He looked so sad …" Mari said, still thinking of him.

"I don't know if he was or not, Mari," Posy said to comfort her. "But we have to be weary of humans; we don't know what they would do."

Thinking about Papillion and the others, Mari sighed quietly as she said, "I'm going to see how Emma and the others are. See you later." Flitting away, Mari casted another quick glance to the cottage in the distance as she took off for the Meadow.

* * *

**Once again, all credit goes to Disney for the song _We'll Be There_ from Secret of the Wings. I just thought it would fit the story. :)**

**And yes, for further fact, Winter and Emma are a few of my other OCs in the story, as are Thomas and Niabi. In a way, this story is writing itself, but like you I'm excited for what's coming next. Fly with you later. :)**


	7. Chapter 7 - Forest Capture

The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter 7

* * *

"Wait until you two see Pixie Camp, it's so much fun," Fawn said turning a somersault on the way in. Bumping into a low flying fairy in a green dress carrying a pile of buttons, Fawn gasped as she muttered, "Oops, sorry Tabby."

Looking up for a moment distracted, Tabby chuckled while sitting upon her knees as she replied, "No, no, don't mind me, it was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was flying," she said with a pretty smile. Picking up the buttons one by one, she sighed saying, "Oh, this place is just so wonderful every time I see it …"

'_If you can see it,' _whispered River as she stood a little to the side as Nora bent down to help Tabby up.

Meeting Nora's eyes, Tabby let up another chuckle as she said, "You're Annora, everyone in the Hollow's heard about you and your quest in finding your talent. What an honor!"

"Well, it wasn't exactly a quest …" Nora started to say before Tabby sat her buttons down on a leaf table in front of a mouse cart, where Tink and Cheese waited nearby.

"Thanks Tabby," Tink said, looking up for a minute before going back to her work.

Flitting over to hover in front of River, she said, "And, you must be River, the blind water fairy that was …"

"How do you know?" River demanded, her right hand clenched at her side.

"I didn't at first, River," Tabby said softly. "You're quite good at hiding it, but you don't let it stop you from being you. Your story is worth telling, however you may hide it, but it shows others the importance of not giving up on what you can do."

Softening, River smiled as she said, "Thanks. But, who are …?"

"Tabby is a story-talent fairy," Fawn replied, flitting over and up the branches to where butterfly cocoons hung overhead.

"The same as every story talent, I am crazy about collecting stories from all across Never Land, but I like to come here to the Mainland when I can to see if I hear any more," she said, patting her brown hair that was gathered at the top of her head in a bun similar to Tinker Bell's. "Wow, I need to meet with the other talents to see what other help I can aid with. See you both later for Story Time tomorrow!"

Waving goodbye, Tabby took off deeper into the Camp as Nora and River looked up to see Fawn tipping the cocoons into each other as white butterfly wings fluttered down into the canopy where butterfly wings were being painted by animal fairies.

"Hey guys," Emma said, looking up from her work as a very patient monarch butterfly flapped a hello.

"Hi Emma," River said, perching down as she heard the gentle strokes of Emma's paintbrush brush across the delicate surface of the wings. "Already getting set to work?"

Chuckling, she replied, "I have started, painting butterfly wings is an important job. It also takes a while with plenty of precision and lots of patience. Also, getting the colors right is extremely important."

"Why is that?" River asked, curious.

"Because it distinguishes what kind of butterfly is from another, am I right?" Nora said, observing another fairy's work as delicate brushes dabbed white and yellow dots respectively on two different same sized butterflies.

"Exactly," Emma smiled. "Mari would give you a gold star if she heard you say that."

"Speaking of Mari, Emma, where is she?" Posibelle said, immediately flying over at the mention of her sister. "I thought she was with you."

"I thought I saw her fly back with me and the herd when we came circling back, then we heard the 'all clear' from Forrestor," Emma said, finally pausing in her work, worried. "You don't think she went back to the human house?"

"And, where's Papillion?" Posy observed. "Didn't he come back with you?"

"I thought so, but he isn't the only Blue Morpho present in our group anymore," Emma informed them. "Meeting up with us in the Fields, Mari and I soon discovered a couple of green chrysalies growing near the Shady Trees on the verge of the Forest just a little bit near here. And, alert to our presence, they quivered as we helped them out and lead them back here. Soon after that, Mari told me that she was going back for the other group we left near the Spring, which returned a few minutes after I came here on their own."

"So, where is she then?" Posy asked her again, wanting to find her sister.

"I wish I knew, Posy," Emma said, putting down her brush. "I really do."

"Hey," a voice called down from the branches above them as they looked up to see Winter sliding down a vine right to them. Landing right beside where River was sitting on a mushroom, he said, "I think I know where she went, but I don't think you're going to like what I saw out there." Turning to his right, he met Fawn's and Emma's eyes giving him his full attention.

"Is this related to what I think is going on?" Fawn asked as River got up to her feet.

"What is it, Winter?"

Sighing, he pushed back his white hair as he said, "I saw that same boy near the Western Creek … with a butterfly net."

_Western …?_ _Oh no_, Emma thought to herself as she thrusted her brush into River's hand as she said, "Take over for me!" With a serious flit and receiving two pixie dust sacks over head by Terence, who saw her fly by, Emma left a stuttering River starring face to face with the anxious butterfly who was flapping with impatience.

"What am I supposed to do?" River called as they all disappeared, all except for Winter and Nora who stood nearby holding up the butterfly sketch left behind by Emma.

"I think you're supposed to match this design," she said, handing River the sketch as she sat down to watch.

"Great … Ok …" River said, taking a breath. "I think I can do this, but I may need a little help getting started …" she said, turning to her friends.

"No problem, Riv, we'll be happy to help ..." Winter said, joining them, "just tell us what to do."

* * *

_**Meanwhile, near the Western Creek Forest …**_

"Elizabeth, why don't you show little Nia that charming little tea set I got for you last Christmas?" Ms. Perkins said, taking out the teacups and settling them down between the two girls as they listened to the creek trickle past them. "Here you two are," she said, passing the sugar bowl around.

"Excuse me, Miss Lizzy," giggled Nia as she brought her cup forward. "May I have a cup of tea?"

"Why, you most certainly may, Lady Niabi," Lizzy said, pouring the tea into her cup with a chuckle, too. "Now, would you care for one lump or two?"

"Make mine three," Nia chimed as Ms. Perkins passed her a few.

Watching the two of them laugh, Ms. Perkins just grinned as she turned a concerned eye towards Tommy as he just watched them solemnly under the shade of a nearby tree.

"Thomas, what about you?" Ms. Perkins asked him, catching his eye. "Would you care to join us for tea? Might I pour you a cup, or would you care for a cookie?"

Shaking his head, Tommy put aside his thought as he said, "No, I'm fine. May I be excused?"

"Of course," Ms. Perkins replied, not wanting to push him. Seeing that she had caught Lizzy's eye, she whispered, _"You'll have to excuse Tommy, dear. Poor dear hasn't been the same since …"_

Not hearing his aunt, Thomas left without a word as he ducked off behind his tree with a hidden notebook and pen, as well as a sturdy net as he headed for the Forest.

* * *

As the dew fell from the leaves, a sudden blue flash zipped through the wood as a streak of pixie dust followed it.

Loving the sweet scent of dew in the air, Mari just followed Papillion as she just spread out her wings as instinct took over. Closing her eyes, her glow intensified as her fairy glow turned a glowing amber as her wings grew to match Papillion's speed.

"Oh Papillion, this is just wonderful. Never have I felt so free …" Mari said, pausing as he stopped next to a moist spot next to some fallen fruit. Extending his tongue, she watched as he drank some of the fruit and became satisfied.

"You know, you had me worried when you made me chase you all the way out here, but now …" she said, looking around.

Hearing a sudden shrill whistle, Mari suddenly tensed up as a rustle made her fly up into the air as Papillion took off into the brush.

"Papillion, come back!" Mari called as a swift but firm arm pulled her back into a knot in one of the trees.

"He can take care of himself, now keep quiet and stay here," a sharp voice whispered as they both heard a pair of feet rush past their hiding place.

Turning towards her, the voice said, "Don't move and I'll check it out."

And, watching closely, she watched as it was no doubt Vidia who whisked out of the tree as fast a whip as she zipped from tree to tree, following his movements.

"Mari! Mari, please answer me," she heard her sister call as she flittered over to knot, where she saw her sister's trail of pixie dust.

"Posy, over here," she called as Posy caught it and flew right in to where she was.

"Make room guys, we've got trouble!" Emma said, entering the knothole and pushing them towards the deeper part of the knothole.

_CCCREEEEEEEE! _A bird's call cried as a set of claws thrashed at the tree. Holding each other, they straddled themselves to the wall as a sharp set eye looked in and scanned the inner workings of the tree only to see a few blown brown leafs pushed aside, one of which hiding them as their glows quieted to the slightest dim.

With a final shriek, the bird unclasped the tree and flew off deeper into the Wood, away from sight and hearing.

Hearing Vidia knock on the tree thrice, one by one they flew out of the Tree, the sisters holding on to one another.

"You had us so worried, Mari," Posy told her sister as she hugged her.

"What were you doing all the way out here away from camp?" Emma wanted to know.

"I was following Papillion," Mari murmured, turning to see Vidia wearing a serious look on her face.

"Your butterfly?!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "Here you were almost a hawk's snack and you're more concerned about your silly butterfly?"

"Yes!" Mari replied, taking a breath. "I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to him."

"To whom did you promise?"

"You don't understand," Mari cried. "Vidia, please. Did you see him?"

With a sigh, Vidia just sat a hand to her head as she said, "I'm sorry, the boy captured him before I could get him out of there."

"Then, I have to find him," Mari said, breaking free from her sister's hands and taking off full force through the Forest.

"Mari," Posy called, flying after her.

Catching her by the arm, Emma stopped her as she said, "I'll follow her, see where she goes. Don't worry, wait for us back at Pixie Camp while Vidia and I try to see what's going on."

"Well, this certainly brings back 'happy' memories," Vidia said to herself, thinking back to the time Lizzy inadvertly captured Tinker Bell.

* * *

**For any mention of reference to the Disney Fairies' film _Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue_, all credit goes to Disney - I own nothing but my story and my OCs. This story might seem similar, but it has a different situation going on between my characters and what's going to happen.**

**The beginning reference to Disney Fairy character Tabby, she was a story-telling fairy on the Online World of Pixie Hollow, one of the most memorable characters that many players enjoyed. And, since she's been seen in some of the movies, I sort of thought she might be fun to mention as a minor speaking character in this chapter.  
I hope this chapter is worth the wait, because more is yet to come. So, keep on flitting and fly with you later. :D**


	8. Chapter 8 - Cottage Retreat

The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter 8

* * *

Flying to a halt in a nearby cherry blossom tree, Marisol parted the limbs to see a cheery little cottage just up the hill. Hearing voices, she ducked her head as her pixie dust jingled down past the quiet leaves.

Watching as an elderly lady with two little girls walked up the path to open the gate into the Garden, Mari just studied them as her eye caught sight of the boy she recognized from earlier.

_Is that him? _She wondered as she flew down to a lower branch to get a closer look.

Watching him tuck a journal underneath his arm, she hesitated only for a minute before she felt, not heard, a vibration of flaps behind her. Having a good idea who it might be, she asked, _"What are you doing here?"_

"Making sure that you don't get yourself into any more trouble than you've already have," Emma said, joining her next to her observant spot. "That _hawk_ could have …"

"It was too small to be a hawk, Em," Mari said, not paying attention. "I'd say it was more of a raven by its size."

"Well, _hawk _or _raven …_ We were worried about you, your sister was scared for you …" Emma said, trying to get her to listen.

"Posy's going to have to find someone one else to worry about. I can take care of myself," she said, watching as Thomas pulled out a small cage out from his jacket as he slipped into the house with his prize in hand.

Seeing the screen door being left partly open, Mari didn't think twice before she dove out of the Tree, saying, "Right now, the only thing on my mind is finding Papillion and making sure he's ok."

"Mari, you're not thinking straight! Wait … !" Emma called, trying to catch up as Mari made a rush dive to the door. Stopping mid-flutter, Emma anxiously watched as the door clicked shut just as Mari made it inside.

* * *

Feeling the door shut just behind her, Mari just shrunk in anxiety as she peered up to see who had just closed it.

"Tell me one thing, Tommy," Lizzy said as she locked the door behind her with one hand, which bumped Mari into her pocket as she strided over to where Tommy sat the covered box on the shelf where some of his stuff laid. Sitting her hands on top of Lizzy's right dress pocket, Mari lifted her head out to hear what they were saying.

"Why do you always just seem to disappear when Mrs. Perkins gives you leave, Tommy? Just what are you up to?" Lizzy came out and asked them as Mrs. Perkins stepped into the laundry room to check the laundry.

"Why should I tell you what I've been up to? It's not like it's any of your business, Elizabeth," Tommy shot back, untying his boots. "And, I doubt that you would believe me anyway …"

A low growl soon made goosebumps crawl up Mari's pale arms as she looked down to see that a large calico came curling up around Lizzy's boots as its sharp yellow eyes caught sight of her. Growling again, Mari thought she saw the cat lick its lips slightly as Mr. Twitches' gaze heard something bouncing about in the box Tommy had sat upon the counter.

"I would if you would just tell me," Lizzy said again, watching him as he picked up the journal that had fallen to the floor in front of them.

Taking her attention off the cat and the now-trembling box, Mari caught sight of something personal in Tommy's eyes as he said, "You wouldn't understand."

"Yes, I would," Lizzy replied, stepping a little closer, "especially if it concerns your Mom."

For a split second, Tommy's gaze changed from firm to sad and then back to sheltered as he turned to go out of the room.

However, suddenly remembering the box, he turned just in time to see that Mr. Twitches had climbed upon the counter to swipe at the box that immediately went tilting to the floor.

Gasping, Mari dove out of Lizzy's pocket towards the falling box the same time as Tommy fell to his knees to catch the faltering bundle in his hands, as the cloth was whisked away to reveal a trembling Papillion flapping frantically near the top of the cage.

"Tommy," Lizzy cried, seeing the struggling butterfly in the cage. "What are you doing with a butterfly?"

"Nothing, alright," Tommy sighed as he stood to his feet, the cage held protectively away from Mr. Twitches swipes. "Now, would you please do something about your crazy cat?"

Taking offense, Lizzy immediately sauntered over to where she took ahold of the annoyed cat and took him outside the door. Sitting him down, she turned to see Tommy holding the cage up to his eyes as he looked in to make sure the butterfly was ok before he heard Lizzy say, "Aren't you going to release it?"

Saying nothing at first, both of their eyes spotted Mari as she timidly flew up to sit her hands on the cage. Fluttering her glass tipped wings, she reached a hand through one of the air holes to rest a calming hand against Papillion's antennae.

"What in the world?" Tommy asked as Lizzy came up to watch Mari stare up at them in hopes of letting him free.

Watching the dust sheen off of her wings, Lizzy calmly took her into her hands as a hesitant Mari didn't want to leave Papillion's side.

"What is it?" Tommy asked her, totally in awe of such a tiny creature.

"You mean _who is it_," Lizzy sweetly corrected him. "She's a fairy."

"A what?" Tommy started to say before they heard Mrs. Perkins' footsteps step into the room.

Hiding her once again in her pocket, she said, "I'll explain later."

As Mrs. Perkins came into the room, she asked them what they were talking about, but saying nothing the two just returned to their rooms for the afternoon, Tommy to Mr. Griffins' study and Lizzy bringing Mari up to her room while Niabi was taking her nap in the downstairs guest room.

* * *

Outside the door, Emma quickly flew around the house in any hopes to find a way to get in, but seeing none, she quickly flew back to a nearby patio window to look inside.

_Oh no, now where is she?_ Emma said to herself as she scanned the room. _One minute she's there, and the next, gone. Come on, Emma, think …_

Tapping and tugging at every window she could find, Emma tried every opening she could think of on the North side of the house before she felt a rushing wind whip past her as she had her hands on the door knob.

"Need a bit of a hand, sweetie?" a sugary voice said as Vidia blew her long bangs out of her eyes.

Grunting, Emma didn't look up as she said, "I don't see you helping, Vidia."

"Of course I'm trying to help, dear," Vidia said, hovering. "However, the fact is you're not listening."

Sighing with an effort not to get impatient, Emma just turned with a raised eyebrow as she asked, "Alright, I'm open to suggestions. With Mari inside and us outside, how do we get from _out here _to _in there_?"

"Have you tried the windows?"

Sighing, Emma just nodded in response.

"Then, what about the door?"

In an effort to not groan, Mari just turned towards the knob to turn it again to no avail.

"And, did you see the cat?"

Raising her head, Emma turned to attention at the mention of a cat. "Cat? What cat?"

Hearing a low growl heading away from the door, Emma and Vidia hovered cautiously past the sliding to see Mr. Twitches making his way towards the Garden as his nose twitched up into the air with a curious sniff.

"That cat," Vidia confirmed as they watched him disappear into the Garden.

"Is he dangerous?" Emma asked.

"You're the animal fairy, you tell me," Vidia answered as they landed on a window sill. "The last time I first encountered that cat, it almost had Tinker Bell for lunch."

"That just worries me then, we have to get Mari out of there," Emma said before Vidia interrupted her.

"That's what I believed, too, when it was my fault that Tink got stuck in that Fairy House when I blew that door shut and that girl brought her back here to _supposedly _show to her Father. But, when she didn't, I saw that Lizzy's Father had a whole room full of _pinned-cased_ collections, mostly of which were butterflies, in his study," Vidia said, remembering with a distinctive look on her face.

"Collections? Cases?" Emma shot back in shock.

"_Old collections_," Vidia corrected, thinking about how things have changes. "It's not him that concerns me, though. It's that kid; he had a butterfly net and some kind of cage he was carrying them in."

Thinking of Mari's feelings about the boy, Emma then said, "Maybe there's more to what we're just seeing. Maybe there's a reason he's doing all this …"

"You just said a while ago that Mari was inside," Vidia prompted her. "Is she with Lizzy or that boy?"

"The girl, I think," Emma said, seeing that the girl she saw take Mari up to her room to be Lizzy. "The boy took Mari's butterfly with him to his room, last I looked."

"Then, we'll have to move fast. Can you stick around here and keep trying to find a way in?"

"Yeah, I can do that. No problem," Emma said, flapping higher up. "You just go tell the others."

Hearing the sky rumble up with misty clouds, Vidia just sighed to herself as she zipped up the path and away from the cottage. Beseeching the sky to stay dry, Vidia flew at high speed as she thought to herself, _Please let this not be like last time._

* * *

**Alright, back with another chapter. And, I apologize for the delay, but I hope this makes up for it.**

**Still determining the ending for this story, but I hope I'm not going to too fast either. And, it may be referencing back to the third Tinker Bell movie, but I promise that it's not going to be like that. So, I hope this chapter is ok for progression, please let me know in the reviews if you don't think so. :)**

**And Mr. Twitches reference, it is a known fact that he was not really fond of fairies or small critters, so just mentioned it. Enjoy. :)**


	9. Chapter 9 - Eclipse and Blues

The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter 9

* * *

"Alright … there," River said, sitting aside the brush as two to three more butterflies lined up on the tree to air out their wings. Exhaling out softly, she shook out her painting hand as she muttered, "My hand fell asleep."

"Well, we have been working for 4 hours," Annora said, stretching up her arms and her wings at the same time.

"Well, I can say one thing: Emma owes us big time," River announced, standing to her feet as she reached down next to her ankle, where she kept her pixie dust bag tied just inside the top of her boot.

Watching a fairy pour pollen into waiting buds on a pulley system and another push a wheelbarrow full of seeds, Nora sighed as her ears twitched as a small rumble came from each of the girls' stomachs.

"I guess I'm not the only one who's talking," River said, earning a chuckle from Nora who agreed.

Wiping a hand across her brow, Nora said, "Ah, I could really go for some …"

"Honeycomb!" came the famous cry of one of the most anticipated sparrow men around. "Get your fresh slice of honeycomb cake, here!"

"Honeycomb Man!" both of the girls cried at the same time, giggling again at the scene.

"Grab me two?" River called up, already hearing Nora's wings midflight as she took off out of the work station.

Sighing again, River leaned over to pick up her water canteen as she splashed the last of the precious liquid across her face and licked her lips faintly as she said, "Splash, Winter was not kidding about that drought."

"Um … speaking of Winter, River," she heard Nora say as she flew back in with four honey cakes in her arm and a fresh pitcher of berry juice. "Did he say that he'd be back? I wonder if he's ok."

"Aw, I would not worry about it, I bet he's fine," River said, already taking a bite of the juicy treat from her cake. "He's probably making some more ice … He _freezes anything he touches, _remember_. _I'm sure he can take care of 're fast!"

Thinking for a moment, Nora agreed, "The suppliers were getting low. And, I thought you said you were worried about him …"

"_I am, ok?" _River sighed, combing one her hands up over her hanging bangs and pausing at the gold-encrusted iced sheen ornament that was pinned just above her ear, holding the right half of her hair back. "But honestly, why did he even come?"

"Maybe because of you," Nora mused, folding over legs while taking her honeycomb to add a little bit of flavor to her berry juice.

"_Huh?"_

"Or, he probably thought he could have been of use here … you know, with the … ice, maybe," Nora said, biting into her snack as River stood to her tired feet.

"What are you getting at? What are you trying to say?" River demanded of her as Nora's eyes just sparkled with knowing.

"I know you like him, River," she said quite simply, yet plainly, as River's cheeks turned a slight blush. "And, I know you don't like others helping you, unless you ask. But he doesn't see you as an invalid, someone to help … He sees you as a friend, a very good one … just as I do and so many others, too."

"Still," River said, pulling at her collar as she felt one of the sun's rays made its way into the camp as Nora turned to see that some of the spare on hand light fairies were taking advantage of the ray's temporal glow, cupping their hands and collecting soft balls of light, filling nighttime seed lamps as they went.

"You know he lives in Border Creek, right?" Nora asked her friend, seeing that River was thinking about something else. "That little creek spot that touches a little bit of the snow up near the top bank of Havendish Stream, right near the Border?"

"Yeah, I heard," River said, listening to the crickets who were starting to sing as a fairy in the distance tapped a twig baton against a log. "That still doesn't explain how he's a _Winter Fairy_ who lives in the warm seasons. That's never happened."

"Milori's a Winter Fairy," Nora said with a small smile. "He comes and visits often, doesn't he?"

"Well, yeah, to see Queen Clarion," River said, cheering up a bit. "… especially after apart for so long. Why … Have you heard anything?"

"River," Nora scowled at her friend playfully as they both laughed. With a keen smile, she answered, "It's none of my business to know, you know that."

"Well, I just asked," River said, chuckling as she rubbed at her eyes. "Anyways, what you were saying about Winter _liking me_?"

"So, you like him?" Nora aimed back at her as River shook her head in a shy.

"I don't know," River said truthfully, lowering her chin a bit as she sighed. "Maybe a little …"

Grinning widely, Nora nodded her head as she thought about something. "You know, Winter was right."

"About what?"

"Now that I think about it," Nora started, thinking back. "Something did happen …"

"What happened?" River pushed, wanting to know.

"He was a water talent sparrow man … a very good one," she said, pricking her mind for anything she could remember about him. "We met him once before … He came to the Winter Woods with us."

"Us?" River prompted.

"You, me, Teal, Bluebell, Torum, and a few others … Something happened. We didn't even know he was missing, and then … Hmm, I don't remember."

"When was this?"

"Last year, I think," Nora said, flicking her wings up. "It was just a little after …"

"Wait, are you saying something _caused_ him to develop frosting abilities?" River asked, intrigued.

"It's possible, I'm not sure what happened," Nora replied. "It was so long ago."

"It wasn't that _long _ago," River tried to start up, again, before they heard a rumble of lightning echo right up and over the camp.

Startled, both girls screamed and jumped to their feet as Nora pulled River up after her as they both made a midflight dash for the comb dormitories that hung sheltered in the deep branches of the Tree, where they circled around to fly into one they shared with Teal and a couple of other fairies.

Closing the door after them, both girls caught their breaths as they heard someone wake up and stretch from inside the other room as a voice called out, sleepily, "Dessa, is that you?"

"Moth?" Nora called, calming enough to fly away from the door as River followed her, her head turning every so often as she strained to listen for any more surprises.

"Nobody said anything about storms," River said, sitting down on one of the daisy swings that sat hanging alongside the far wall.

"Silvermist did," Fira said, yawning again. "We're going to have a light shower right before the eclipse tonight …"

"Eclipse?" River said, all ears as Fira's head bolted right up.

"Who said 'Eclipse?' Where?" Fira said, shooting out of bed and on her wings in a slight frenzy. However, no more than a few seconds passed before she regained her composure as she heard River's reply.

"Uh, you did … just now."

"Oh," Fira said, sitting down on one of the dahlia stools as she ran a brush through her bright and long dark curls. "Yeah …"

"You look a little tired," Nora observed as she ducked into the closet to pull on a fresh daisy shirt while she unbraided her long brown hair and weaved her fingers through it, to start a new fish-tail braid.

"Yeah, I was just catching up on some sleep …"

"You took a catnap, before evening?" River asked, pulling off her boots.

"Best time, that way I'm _wide awake ... _A light fairy's job is never done, 'specially at night," she said, stretching some more as she said, "Nora, can you toss me that bottle of sunrise?"

"Sure," Nora said, without another word. "Didn't you hear the storm, though?"

"Yeah, a little," she said, uncorking the bottle and letting the light absorb into her glow, which only intensified it as she shook herself awake. "Don't worry, it's only temporary."

"Yeah, you said that, too," River said, grinning a little as she pulled off her gloves to flex her fingers from fatigue.

"I heard that, little missy," Fira said, standing to her full height.

"I didn't mean anything by it," River smiled. "Who told you that we were having an eclipse tonight?"

"I'm not sure, but Posy rectified it before I dozed off," Fira said, buzzing her wings to flutter up and glow even brighter. "Anyone seen her?"

"I haven't," River said, somewhat specifically. "I heard that she went after her sister."

"She's not back yet?" Nora asked, concerned.

"No, Posy came back," Fira said, shaking her head. "I guess Emma told her to come back and wait here, in case Mari came back to Camp."

"Well, I'm sure if Emma's out there looking for her, then Mari won't be hard to find," Nora said, looking up from her now completed braid. "Is Posibelle doing alright?"

"Yeah, just worried," Fira consoled, "… right as any _older _sister would be."

Nora smiled to herself as she thought about her sister as she said, "I know that feeling."

Hearing the door open, all three fairies turned their heads to the threshold as they saw a very tired Posibelle droop through the door as Fira rushed over to catch her in her arms.

"Oh … night lamps all filled for the night …" Posy murmured as her glow dimmed tiredly. "Just … have to rest …"

"Yes, you should," Fira said, helping Mari up to walk near the cots, to which Nora was already fixing up the bed. Stepping aside, Fira sat her friend on the bed as Mari looked over to reach for her light weaving journal, only realizing she had left it back home. "You're been working yourself hard … and stressing over …"

"Where's Mari?" Posy immediately asked, not even prompted. "Is she back?"

"Soon," FIra promised, pulling the covers up over her as Posy just fell back on the pillow, too tired to say anything else as she fell asleep as quick as a light. "I promise, soon."

Backing them out of the room, Fira ushered Nora and River to follow her back outside, where they saw, true to Fira's words, that the storm had stilled to a light rain as the overcasting clouds began to break up.

"That's all Posy's been thinking about, since she returned," Fira told them as they sat down on one of the branches near the Camp clearing. "She said that a bird attacked them, but they were ok. Now, she's just worried about her sister being gone. And without any news soon, I'm worried she'll go crazy."

"How long has she been gone exactly …" River asked, trying to make sense of everything. "Where did Mari even go?"

"The boy captured Mari's butterfly!" Emma shouted into the camp as she came streaking alit into camp like a fiery beacon, looking for anybody as several scouts and concerned fairies stopped to listen. "Mari flew into the human's house! I couldn't stop her!"

Zipping over, Teal immediately took her hands and tried to calm her down as they landed. "Whoa there, sugarcube! Easy," she said, watching as someone passed Emma a cup of something to drink. "Now, tell us what happened."

Trudging in, soaking wet and grouchy, Vidia announced, "The simple fact is, _dear, _Mari is in that house right now with Lizzy …"

"With Lizzy?" Tinker Bell piped up, peeking out from her makeshift workshop. "If she's with Lizzy, then she's fine … Vidia, you're all wet."

With a slight grimace towards Emma's direction, she growled, _"I know …"_

"What's more is … Tommy's got Papillion," Emma said, catching her breath.

"Who?" one of the scouts piped up, who immediately flew over in a flash.

"The boy … the one we saw earlier," Emma spoke up truthfully. "He's got Mari's butterfly. That's why she flew into the house! I couldn't stop her. I'm so sorry."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Posy shouted down, now dressed in a double strapped green form fitting dress with blue pants as she came streaking down in front of Emma. "Let's go get my sister!"

"Posy, you can't …" Fira tried to say as Posibelle shot her a look so headstrong that it made Fira shrink back. We had never seen Posy this way before.

"I've waited long enough," Posy said, staring around as more and more concerned faces joined Fira's, seeing how Posy's glow turned a shade dimmer. "I'm fine," she assured them.

Flitting over, the Minister of Summer came flying over demanding to know what was going on, but when she casted a wary scanning look towards the circle, she saw what everyone was seeing and knew what she had to say.

Clearing her throat, the Minister flew towards the center of the ring as everyone stilled and quieted. Meeting over Posy's eyes, the Minister of Summer extended her hand out motherly, yet gently, as she touched her young fairy's shoulder and lowered her down to the ground and said, "You need to rest, come with me."

Her demand was soft, almost authoritive, but that wasn't her style. Smilling a bright grin, she tried to lead Posibelle away from the group as Posy tried to jump back into the air, but trying as she might, her wings gave out and she fell to her knees as she felt the ground spin beneath her.

"Niral, Soley!" the Minister called as two healers came flying out to lift Posy gently by her arms as they carried her away. Looking back towards the others, the Minister exchanged looks with some of the wiser scouts as she asked, "You'll see to this?"

"We will, we'll take care of it," the scouts said as they started to talk amongst themselves.

Watching the two fairies take Posy into the infirmary, Emma whispered, "_We'll get her back, Posy. I promise."_

* * *

**_Back with another update. This just came to me just the other day, and I've done a little research about what I want to come out of this story, but this scene is more of a filler until I can plan that scene. And it mentions Winter, who I will mention later._**

**Honeycomb Man, just thought it might be fun to relive that Pixie Hollow short scene, one of my favorites.**

**I hope this is enough for you readers, sorry this story as been on standby. But I promise you, I have something really big planned for this tale, so just hold on your wings. So, with that, I will say ... Enjoy! :)**


	10. Chapter 10 - Wing Mystery

The Butterfly Summer – Chapter 10

* * *

_Lizzy_, I remembered Tinker Bell saying. Was that the girl's name? No wonder she knew so much about fairies, her walls and pictures said it all. Sitting me down atop her bed, she had raced over to her bookshelf and pulled down a loose leaf journal of some kind, which she automatically started flipping through as my wings anxiously started to flutter in uncertainty.

Looking up from her book, she seemed to notice as she said, "Oh, you don't need to be scared, little fairy. Are you?"

"I'm not scared," I started to say, to which she only laughed as she let out an airy sigh.

Flitting over, I must have showed my exasperation because she said, "I can't understand you."

Sitting down at her table, she lightly giggled, again, as she explained, "I'm sorry. Well, we only hear a tiny little _bell_ when you speak. It happened with _Tink_, too."

"Well, that makes things hard," Mari spoke again, to which she looked up to see Lizzy staring blankly up at her as her hands still held her book in her lap. _How can I talk to her if I know she can't understand me?_

With a simple smile, Lizzy opened her book to a page that explained all about animal fairies, which showed a tiny fairy bandaging the foot of a baby chipmunk. "Neat, huh?"

_Pictures. _That gave me an idea!

Flying over to some blank white paper that she had lying out on her desk, I picked up a pink crayon that was twice my size and almost doubled over my wings as it sagged in my hold. Fluttering my butterfly wings hard, I hovered in place as I tried to move the crayon against the page. As Lizzy watched, I sighed exasperated as it only left a pink, squiggly smear.

_Art is so not my strong suit! _I thought inwardly, despite me knowing how to color in butterfly wings, thanks to Fawn and Emma. It wasn't that hard, or was it?

"Are you trying to draw a picture?" she asked me, to which I could only stare back, not knowing what to say or how to. So, I only nodded, to which she had me rest in her hand and point out some more of her pictures. "I love drawing! See here … a fairy is painting a butterfly's wings. Tink told me that."

Suddenly getting another idea, I tried to flit out of her hand only to have her turn around, to which she almost side-stepped into her chair as I flapped my huge wings against her wrist.

Laughing, she said, "Hey, that tickles! Wait, where are you going?"

She followed me as I raced back over to the drawing, pointing at the butterfly's wings. _I'm a butterfly herder fairy, _I tried to sign as I turned around and showed her my wings, to which to my shock felt normal and not my regular new wings. Slapping my forehead, I realized that they had shrunk, _again._

"Wait," she said, heeding my attempts. "Are you trying to tell me that you are an _animal _fairy?"

_Closer_, I sighed, pointing at the sketch, again, this time at the butterfly and then back towards my wings, emphasizing what I was trying to say. Finally, it got through!

"A _butterfly_ fairy?" Lizzy repeated, seeing me nod. "Oh really?! Butterflies are so beautiful!"

_They are, _I said as I smiled, this time flying up higher as I pointed more and more of her painted butterflies and immediately thought of Papillion as Lizzy watched intently as I took touch of my flute.

"Lizzy, you up here?"

Immediately, we heard a tentative knock at the door, to which we both turned to see Tommy peeking his head shyly in.

Standing in front of me and crossing her arms, Lizzy watched as Thomas quietly looked around the room as he said, "Where's the tiny _fairy?_ Is that what you called _it?"_

"_She _is not an _'it,' _Thomas," Lizzy corrected him, turning to see me flit around to peer over her shoulder. "And, why do you ask? You are not putting her in that cage, too!"

Sure enough coming in, he rested his medium sized butterfly cage on the craft table before he turned around and said, "Will you just relax! I have no intent of doing such a thing."

Flying over, I landed on top of the small wire cage as he undid the clasp that held the door shut, where one butterfly crawled closer to the door when it caught sight of Mari.

"Then, what are you doing?" Lizzy wanted to know, watching him start to smile.

"Has it stopped raining outside?" he wanted to know, bending over the cage and counted the total number of butterflies inside he had. I counted, too. _29 _separate species, counting Papillion which made it thirty.

Running over to her window, she pushed it open and shouted, "Yes, it has. Now what?"

"Stand back," he called, pinning up the cage door and watched as one by one they started to slowly flit out of the cage, towards the sunlight that started to shine through the pane.

Taking out a camera, Thomas started taking pictures and checking off certain ones in a smaller notebook he had as he counted them to make sure they flew out all safely.

"There, all done," he said, starting to close the window before Lizzy stopped him.

"Wait, there is still one in here," Lizzy caught his attention as she pointed over to where I was fondly scratching across Papillion's antennae in the way he liked. "Shouldn't he had flown out, too?"

"Should have," Thomas said, completely baffled. "He seemed to be really protective of the others earlier, but … Wait, how did you know he was a male Blue Morpho?"

Giggling, I checked Papillion all over to make sure his wings were still strong as he beat them against the sun's warming rays. _"They still haven't figured it out, Papillion. You stayed because of me. I'm just glad you're safe. Go on now, join the others! I'll see you back at home."_

Tapping a couple of notes off of my flute, I flew over him and sprinkled a bit of pixie dust in the air that was left off of my wings and got him to follow me to the edge of the window.

"Look at her, Thomas," Lizzy watched us, awestruck. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Elizabeth, you really want me to _believe _that _she _is a fairy?" Tommy said, catching me off guard as I paused in the front of the window and did not notice Papillion sneak out in a hurry. Turning around, I felt a slight buzz on my wings as I listened to his next words. "Fairies are just a thing of fairy tales. They are made up! They are not _real_."

"Don't say that!" Lizzy cried in defense as I felt my wings spark in pain. _Something was wrong, but it wasn't me. And, it wasn't here I was feeling it._

"Why?" he demanded, seeing me watch as my wings started to glow a hazy hindrance as they resounded to their normal new size and glistened as the outer scales of my wings started to spread.

_Something was happening, _I realized, seeing them argue. Flying out of the window, I streaked away as fast as possible, feeling the need to speed, but as I was flying … I realized that I was out of the pixie dust and started to fall.

As Papillion caught me and flew back towards pixie camp, I glanced back to see my fairy wings still withering, but as we flew, I saw something else, too.

A _white common_ fluttered by the window, _unseen_ and completely invisible, as I felt a hazy bubble of the argument play out in front of my eyes.

_"Don't ask me to play along with something that isn't real, Liz!" Tommy was shouting back at Lizzy.  
"She was real! A fairy, Thomas. You saw her. Why is it so hard for you to believe?"  
"It's not," was all he said as he stomped away, pausing at the door frame and sighed.  
"What's wrong, Thomas?" Lizzy wanted to know. "All you've done since you got here is fight with anyone who tries to talk to you, while also sneaking off any chance you get just to capture innocent butterflies and document them? Why? What have I done to you, Thomas? Nothing."  
Sliding a hand against the door frame, he said, "I'm sorry … It's not you, Lizzy."  
"Then, what is it?"  
"Nothing," he said, leaving. "Just … leave me alone. _Please._"_

After that, my vision cleared in time to see a cluster of butterflies surround me as we landed safely in the glade.

Before I even had time to slide to my fatigued feet from off of Papillion's back, I felt two pairs of strong hands catch me as I looked up to see Emma and Winter.

"Mari!" Emma shouted, startling me awake as I almost toppled. My wings had withered to a grey coating as I gazed up to see Emma anxiously concerned, but she didn't seem to notice them as said, "You had us so worried. We were looking everywhere."

"The scouts searched around the house, but they couldn't spot you," Winter said, running a coat of frost over my wings to preserve what was left of them, at least over the part that didn't turn grey. Or, were they starting to turn brown? I couldn't tell.

"I was with Lizzy," I said, finding myself strong enough to take out one of my nectar vials out of my pocket that I kept handy and gulped it down. "What's wrong?"

Studying their shared look of anticipation, I straightened up enough to say, "You better tell me."

"Well … I'm sorry, Mari, but …" Winter started to say, but couldn't finish.

"It's your sister," Emma finished for him, seeing my knowing eyes. "She's not doing well."

"Show me!" I barked at them both as they carried me through the camp's pavilion and, not surprisingly, right into the camp's infirmary.

* * *

**Sorry for the late post. Just finished it now. Until I figure out what's going on with my FF account, fellow readers, updates may be slow going. However, thanks for waiting on this story, and I'm sorry about this being a little late but I hope well worth it.**

**Also, I'm still figuring out the "ins" and "outs" of the story plot, so that might be a bit going on, too. Thanks for being a support my dear readers, and keep your wings high. Until next chapter ... And, enjoy.**


	11. Chapter 11 - Gift onto Another

The Butterfly Summer – Chapter 11

* * *

I didn't get to see my sister until later, but I could _hear _them as they rushed in and out of the room across the divider.

Niral, a sweet and young little nurse fairy, smiled compassionately up from her work from applying some wing healing balm on my slight withered wings to help them heal, but unbeknownst to her I could sense something more as I rubbed at my eyes.

"Are you worried?" she asked me, thinking it was tears as she watched me turn around and she patted my hand. "I would be, too."

Shaking my head, I was becoming aware of another _vision _as it clouded my sight. Laying back down, I rubbed at my head as out of the corner of my eye, underneath the dim glow of the lantern they had pointed at my wings, I saw the edges of my glass-tinted wings start to glow, again, as I saw _him_ …

_On his cot in the study, Thomas hugged his journal close to his chest as fresh tears began to fall from his cheeks. Clutching his blanket and turning away, the book fell down to the side and revealed the first page, which revealed a portrait of a young lady holding a younger boy with tawny short and wavy brown hair, too, close as she kissed him on the cheek, to which showed him laughing._

Rubbing my temple, I saw through the eyes of a _tiger_, which hovered close to the window of the house, the title of the journal, "_My and Mom's Butterfly Log_, _A Collection of Rare Butterflies that we saw together on our First Summer."_

There was more to it, but I couldn't read it due to the fading vision, but I had seen enough to know why he collecting butterflies, but there was a bigger issue now at hand besides a grieving heart and the life of my sister hanging in the balance of it, too.

"I'm not worried," I said, sighing as she turned off the lamp, to which my wings slightly fluttered back to life after I arched them and swung my legs around to where I could sit up for a bit. "I just feel like I have a slight headache."

"I can see if we have anything to help," she said, signaling to someone else outside the tent as she flew out. "Hold tight, I'll be right back."

"_When can I see …?" _I started to say, before I looked up to see that she was gone. As the leaf curtain dropped, the room dimmed to a slighter dark tone as I got to my shaky feet and gazed back at my wings.

They no longer showed any signs of fading, but the brown edges had separated the transparency of my wings into two areas that glistened like "tiny mirrors" that I had seen before on _Thasly._

Again, Thasly's _gift _filled my mind as I heard _crack _of her passing break away from my essence as I remembered the long, swift breeze of the Never Sea find me and coursed me back on course, away from the mainland and _away_ from my friend who I never saw fall out of the sky.

Looking at them, I recognized them as the _wings _of Thasly, but it meant something else, too. I had a way to save my sister, if all went well.

Hearing the door, I hid against the edge of the door frame as I peeked out from where it had open to hear Niral shout out.

I didn't mean to frighten her, but before she could look for me, I threw up some of a small hand full of fresh pixie dust I had left over and stored in my pocket, just in case of a quick getaway.

Flying out of the room, I flew high and watched as the door to my door stormed open as several nurse fairies and doctor sparrow men spawned several directions for me, which by the way never included _up_.

"What's going on out here?" Seeing Annora peek out of my sister's tent, she immediately looked up and saw me, calling out, "Mari! There you are. Why didn't you say you were here?"

"I've been trying," Mari called down, seeing the nurses start to gather.

"There she is!" Niral called, pausing and sitting a knowing hand on her mouth as she realized. "Oh."

"I refuse anymore treatment," Mari called, lowering herself down to Annora's level as she stepped out and signaled that it was ok. "I only want to see Posy, please. My wings are fine!"

"But the …" one of the doctors tried to say before Mari pulled out her flute and blew into it, to which her wings glowed intricately and fluttered cohesively as her fairy glow radiated for all to see, her wings lightly shrinking back in the place as the brown markings grew more concentrated but the white scales remained in place of wing's pattern.

"It's part of her talent," Nora said knowingly, escorting Mari inside and assuring them at the same time. "If anything changes, we'll send for you."

"_Thanks," _was all Mari said as she turned to see her sister's frail form covered up in bed as she was resting.

Walking over, she knelt down near the side of the bed as she took the seat next to her sister and took her sister's hand in her own. "How is she?"

"Resting, for now," Annora said, coming over. "We were thinking it was mainly _stress_ about earlier, but then _this_ happened."

"How?" I asked, despite the event in the back of my mind that every fairy dreaded as an evident answer.

"Disbelief, my child," Sunflower said, allowing herself in and taking in both of our gazes as she frowned down at Posibelle's fading fairy glow. "It's the only thing I can think of that would explain this."

"_Fairies are not real!" _I heard Thomas' words echo past my ears, as Annora picked up on it, too. Her expression said she had as she let out a gasp, to which I nodded.

The Minister, though, was undiscerning as she looked from her and back to me. "What?"

"_Tommy_," I whispered, feeling that spark across my wings, again. "I have to help him _believe, _again, somehow. But I can't leave Posy, not like this."

"Dear, what are you talking about?" she asked, watching at I thought back to when the Queen had given me my flute.

"_I have a feeling you'll need it," _I heard the Queen's wise words replay themselves in my mind, again, as I lifted my flute up to blow up a high trill that radiated my glow, next to my sister's which caused her to softly blink open her eyes. _That's it!_

Drawing my hand away from Posy on the bed, I made sure the curtains were drawn as I flew up to check the skylight, _just enough room to fly out_, I concluded.

"Mari?"

Managing to sit up in bed, my sister was all but barely a glimmer as she pushed herself up, the Minister having her lend on her as she cradled my sister in her arms. "Are you …?"

"Forgive me, Posy," I said to her as the Minister laid her back down, her eyes dropping.

"_Poor dear, she's getting weaker," _Sunflower said, feeling of my sister's head. _"Oh."_

"How long?" I demanded to know as the Minister looked up with a solemn shake as I ripped my flute from my neck, the soft string breaking in two as I unfurled my wings and said, "Stand back!"

Blowing hard into my reed, I felt my glow strengthen and my wings grow warm as I felt my pixie dust preen off of my wings and start to surround me like a whirlwind.

"Nora, take the Minister's hand," I dictated, watching in my cocoon as Annora did just as I asked and backed up both of them against the side, Sunflower realizing upon what I was fixing to do.

"_Marisol, what are you thinking?" _I heard her breathe as I resounded another note into my flute that increased the wrapping of the dust as I felt my wings grow to _bug size_.

_One last thing_, I said to myself as I took ahold of my sister's hand and closed my eyes, a tear trailing my cheek as it travelled down my arm to touch the trickle glow of my sister's skin that remained and started to glow.

As a warm tinkling worked its way through my fingers down into her, I felt my own self change as I blew my remaining pixie dust onto her and gave her my _own _glow of our bond, her fairy glow resounding to a healthy pixie yellow, _at least … for now_.

Facing the others, I whispered, _"Take care of her" _and then took off, my big glass wings lifting me off the ground at high speed, _at least as fast as a butterfly could go at this size, _and crawled through the skylight and out into the night.

I didn't know it would work, but if my plan was going to do anything, I needed to get to Lizzy's house _fast._ And, at the rate I was going, I didn't need my pixie dust for this. Feeling the strong current under my wings, I folded my arms underneath me as I sped off and didn't look back.

* * *

"She did what?!" Posibelle exploded as Emma, Winter, Fira, and River joined us in the room as the Minister stepped out to think.

The truth was, Posy did _look _a whole better, but her diminished glow was still a concern. At least she wasn't weak like before, whatever Mari did … But it had come at a price.

"Where is she _now?!"_ Posy cried out, wanting to know.

"We aren't sure, but I may have an idea _where she's going_," Emma said, sitting on the bed. "We found this."

Holding her sister's personalized dust bag, which included a thread stitch of an _actual _painted glass butterfly with blue morpho wings blended into it to symbolize Papillion, Posy looked confused as she heard Emma speak. "How?"

"She's may not just be a _fairy_ anymore, Posy," Emma said. "We think she may have turned into …"

_Clap!_

"Stop," Annora said, hearing something out of the blue. "What's that?"

_Clap! Clap!_

Realizing what was happening, the Minister burst into the room and sat near Posy's bed as she shouted, "Quick, all of you. Take who you need with you and _quickly _fly off to Lizzy's abode. That's where she is!"

Seeing their hesitation, the Minister assured them, "I'll look after her. You must go, quickly!"

Shooing them all out, she sent them on their way as she returned to the edge of her young fairy's side as Posy saw her wings sparkle back to life and her glow return.

"_What's … What's happening?"_

"I don't know how your sister did it," Sunflower said, watching with relief. "But she may just be _saving _your life."

* * *

**Don't worry, the story is not over yet. I just had to write this chapter while it was in my head. Hope you enjoy it and until next time! :)**


End file.
